News

News

No action from Senate committee

October 9

The board of trustees and Student Government President Ashley Mushnick have not heard from the Senate Finance Committee since submitting a final report after the board's June meeting, according to Mushnick and presidential Chief of Staff David Taylor. The final report detailed the governance reforms enacted by the board and also addressed the committee's requests for further documentation from the university, according to Taylor.

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National brief: Clinton brokers healthy snack deal

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 9

Former President Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association announced they have entered into a voluntary agreement with various food companies to make schoolchildren's snacks healthier, according to the Associated Press. Snacks will have less fat, salt and sugar in an effort to cut down on the number of cases of childhood obesity, according to the AP.

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Q & A with Neil Kerwin

October 9

The Eagle: What is your most vivid memory of the Ladner scandal? Neil Kerwin: There were a whole series of memories that come back. The call I got indicating that I would be serving as acting president was memorable, as you might imagine. I remember vividly the convocation that occurred quite soon after the transition from the former president to me.

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AU lends muscle to campaigns

By Howard Perlman | October 9

AU students are participating in numerous political campaigns, such as the November midterm elections, to gain valuable political experience that can be applied to future career plans. Jordan Landry, who graduated in 2006 from the School of Public Affairs, said student involvement can be crucial to a campaign's success.

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Podcasts, blogs bring journalism to "citizen media"

By Peggy Wu | October 9

The second edition of a two-part American Forum titled "The Future of News is Here, Now What?" explored the changes in "new" media after 15 years of online news and its effect on today's generation Thursday. The forum addressed how a new generation of podcasts, online blogs, "Youtubing" and online news has fostered a shift in the traditional print, television and radio media.

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Faculty, staff on Facebook prompt some users to increase privacy settings

By Kelly Barrett | October 9

Students are beginning to learn they are not the only people in the Facebook community, as many staff members and administrators are also members of the site, and many have been for over a year. Freshmen initially learned of staff members being on the site at their summer orientation, during a Housing and Dining presentation by Director of Residence Life Rick Treter.

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Mushnick's letter to the Senate Finance Committee

October 9

Dear Senator Grassley, Although it is unfortunate that events at American University have initiated your involvement, the Student Government wishes to thank you for the attention and interest you've given our institution and the governance challenges it faces.

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Metro brief: Cardin skeptical of Maryland voting system

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 9

U.S. Senate candidate Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., said he is not confident in the Maryland voting system, stating the problems experienced in the primaries would discourage people from voting, according to The Washington Post. In the Maryland primaries, a lack of ballots forced voters to use everything from scrap papers to campaign fliers, The Eagle previously reported.

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Donor agendas dictate NGO policy

By Robin Bravender | October 9

The most important things to remember when fundraising for non-profits are to network, remain independent of your donors and above all, never compromise your agenda, said a panel of non-profit professionals at a lecture Friday. For those looking to work in non-profit organizations, "you need money," said Bill Goodfellow, executive director of the Center for International Policy.

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Ashley Mushnick's clarification statement

October 9

"I am writing to clear up some issues raised by my June 13 letter to the Senate Finance Committee. Regarding the issue of consultation with student representatives, the Student Government wishes to correct any perception that there was not frequent communication between the Board's Governance Committee and students.

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Campus briefs

By Jess Reamy | October 9

Student trustee candidates to interview tonight Student leaders will interview candidates tonight to select finalists for the first-ever student to sit on the board of trustees, according to a statement posted by Student Government President Ashley Mushnick on the SG Web site.

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International brief: North Korea conducts nuclear tests

By Kyra Smerkanich | October 9

North Korea conducted its first nuclear test successfully today, according to North Korea's Central News Agency, Reuters reported. According to the Associated Press, South Korea's news agency Yonhap reported that defense officials said the weapons were tested at 10:36 a.

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American Forum's forecast for news: Tech takeover

By Elizabeth Royall | October 9

Several panelists from mainstream and alternate news sources discussed the media industry's role as a gatekeeper of news and how the news industry is adjusting to the Internet, blogs and generational change in an American Forum titled "From Mainstream to MySpace: The Future of News" Wednesday.

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Q & A with Gary Abramson and David Taylor

October 9

The Eagle: What is your most vivid memory of the Ladner scandal? Gary Abramson: We had an interesting town hall meeting that first time, in which we did get a lot of students and faculty who were vociferous and letting off some steam, although I think it was a good airing of people's concerns.

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Metro calendar

By Rebecca Kern | October 9

Tuesday, Oct. 10 Eric Clapton's World Tour 7:30 p.m. Verizon Center, 601 F St. N.W. Metro: Gallery Place-Chinatown (red, green and yellow lines) See Eric Clapton perform his famous rock 'n' roll classics live at the Verizon Center. The Robert Cray Band will open.

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Board reforms include student, faculty members

October 9

During the Ladner scandal last fall, the AU board of trustees came under fire for their actions. Since then, the board has taken major steps towards transparency while reforming. The decision to reform AU governance began after former President Benjamin Ladner agreed to sever all ties with the university in exchange for a $3.

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Style Network refurbishes Anderson lounge

By Brian Kalish | October 9

The first floor lounge of Anderson Hall was remodeled over the weekend and revealed to the public yesterday by a team of designers from a Style Network program who modeled it after a Los Angeles restaurant and lounge called Dolce. AU was invited to apply for the makeover by the show's producers, who wanted to feature a D.

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